Alchemy is a science.

Many call it a mystical venture, but this is far from true.

Unlike Divination and Shaman Spells, which have some level of mystic connotations with their rituals and invocations, Alchemy is rather straightforward.

We simply dilute Special Resources in solution and extract their core essence to form ingredients.

Then, we mix these ingredients, borne from different Special Resources, to create all manner of reactions and produce a solution—usually in liquid form—that serves as the final product.

Humans are not Magivores: we don't have the natural biology to process Special Resources and convert them to mystical abilities. Most Special Resources are actually toxic to humans in their raw form, and consuming them guarantees certain death.

Of course, there are exceptions to this.

The point is, we need Alchemy to help eliminate the toxicity of these Special Resources by diluting them and extracting their core essence. Only after this are they no longer poisonous but actually beneficial to the human body.

But merely leaving it at this, the ingredients have barely any noticeable effects.

Some ingredients even cause adverse effects.

Only by mixing them together and creating all manner of reactions can a proper product be made for consumption. When in liquid form, it is called a Potion. Balms are semi-liquid, while Pills are entirely solid.

However, of the three, Potions are the most widely used.

We import Balms from overseas, and I have only heard of Pills from rumors and legends.

There are 9 Grades of Potions, though only six really exist in human civilization. Grade 1 is the weakest and most common, known as Lesser Potions. Grade 2 Potions are more valuable and are the standard for most people who require Potions. They are known as Low Potions. Grade 3 Intermediate Potions are expensive and quite rare. Many Noble and Knight Households have them as heirlooms, and they aren't to be used carelessly. Grade 4 Advanced Potions are even rarer, only available to the High Nobility. Most of them treat them as precious resources, heirlooms that can only be used in matters of emergency. Only the upper echelon of the High Nobility has these Potions in considerable supply.

As for Grade 5 Advanced Potions… only the Royal Family and the Dukes could possibly have a hold of such powerful Potions. Grade 6 Masterwork Potions are nearly extinct. Only the Large-sized Kingdoms can claim to have such treasures in their grasp, and to brew something so divine, one must have a rank exceeding Senior Alchemist.

Alchemist Master—such a position is rare, even in Large-sized Kingdoms.

Beyond Grade 6 is Grade 7… Ancient Potions. There are also Grade 8 and Grade 9.

But no one has seen them before.

They are only vaguely mentioned in myths and legends, and it is unknown what rank an Alchemist needs to reach before they can even brew such Potions.

Speaking of ranks, there are only four:

Junior Alchemists, who can only brew Grade 1 Potions successfully.

Intermediate Alchemists, who can brew Grade 1 to Grade 3 Potions, though the latter will have a low chance of success.

Senior Alchemists, who can brew Grade 1 to Grade 5 Potions, though the latter will have a low chance of success.

Finally, Alchemist Masters… the only ones who can brew Grade 6 Potions!

Needless to say, when they brew Potions of lower grades, they have much higher chances of success compared to Alchemists of lower ranks.

Beyond these four ranks, there is a rumored fifth—Divine Alchemist!

But no one has ever reached such a level.

At least, not in the official records.

Another thing to mention, apart from the ranks of Alchemists and the grades of Potions, is the rank of the materials themselves.

Special Resources—from Rank 1 to Rank 9.

You use the corresponding Special Resource as the main ingredient to brew a Potion of similar grade. In essence, Rank 1 Special Resources serve as the main ingredient to brew Grade 1 Potions, and Rank 3 Special Resources serve as the main ingredients to brew Grade 3 Potions.

One can have secondary ingredients as well.

For example, while a single Rank 3 Special Resource can be used to brew a Grade 3 Potion, it will also have Rank 1 and Rank 2 Special Resources as side materials to create reactions and formulate an effective product.

Some recipes even feature more than one Special Resource of a certain rank in the brewing of Potions of corresponding grade.

This is the complex world of Alchemy, and as you can see… There are many factors to consider.

The most important one, however, is Special Resources.

You can't brew something from nothing.

Historically, the greatest limitation when brewing Potions is the ingredients.

Obtaining low-rank Special Resources is easy, but what about high-rank ones? Not even Large-sized Kingdoms can escape this hurdle. Special Resource Points are very rare, and the most common ones only feature low-rank Special Resources.

To get those Rank 4 and 5, and 6 Potions, one must scavenge for these Special Resources, or hunt down a Magivore of a corresponding Cadre and harvest their core organ.

But—

Magivores are too dangerous!

A Cadre 4 Magivore is a danger to an entire region, and a Cadre 5 Magivore is a kingdom-wide threat. Cadre 6 Magivores exist beyond human powers and cannot be hunted down. As such, for Grade 6 Potions, one must painstakingly search for ingredients to use.

Zarius's entire scheme was to create a Grade 6 Potion.

Even a Leviathan has to plan for decades just to obtain such a Potion—this shows its difficulty.

As for me, I am not so ambitious.

Aunt Leila's limit is a Grade 3 Potion, and even with my help, we can only raise the success rate and enhance the purity level of our final product.

"Javier… you're too impressive!"

During the brewing process, Aunt Leila does not stint in her praise for me. "I can't believe the difficulty has gone down to this extent. Are you a natural-born Alchemist? What is this talent?"

Haha…

What she doesn't know is that I'm using Clairvoyance to keep a close eye on the processes, ensuring there are no blind spots in the brewing processes. This allows me to multitask and perfectly sync my efforts with my Aunt's.

It is a headache to maintain, but since the distance is very short, my limitations are less evident.

As for my Alchemy skills themselves…

They're almost in the Intermediate Alchemist stage already.

I'm surprised myself!

I never formally studied Alchemy, though I did have a strong interest in it. I also made my fair share of Potions in my travels, but those were largely Grade 1 and Grade 2 Potions. I always purchased Grade 3 Potions or watched Esther make them.

There's also my relationship with Anna.

Now that I think about it, those two must be the main cause of my shocking growth in Alchemy!

It turns out that spending time around Esther and Anna, as well as studying Alchemy on my own, has made me a very competent Alchemist. If I add the usefulness of Clairvoyance to the mix, I could pass for an Intermediate Alchemist.

'Maybe it's time I get an Alchemist degree.' I think to myself.

It could be an honorary one, and I'll let the royal family make it official. All I have to do is make a few contributions in the form of new recipes and Potions to the board, and I'll be qualified.

Not only does Esther's Grimoire have some unique recipes, but my current venture with Aunt Leila has also produced quite a few unique results.

These are more than enough to ensure my success in the world of Alchemy.

Adding it to my current accolades should buy me more time before I get my Bachelor's Degree, and also increase my earnings in the Royal Academy. It could also mean I'm busier, but since it would be in the same department of Sciences & Natural Philosophy, I think I can manage.

This is just a thought at the moment, but I believe I could really pull it off.

I'll have to make some serious considerations once this is all over. For now, I'd better focus on Alchemy and make sure there are no mistakes.

If there are, the ingredients will be wasted, and we'll have to start from scratch.

I'm broke.

I can't afford to waste precious resources!

****************

"Whew!"

Aunt Leila and I stare at each other passionately, both of us panting heavily as sweat glistens on our skin. After a few moments like this, feeling the rising heat bubble around us, she raises both of her hands, and I respond with a high-five.

We did it!

In just a week, we succeeded in creating three completely new kinds of Potions.

All at Grade 3!!!

This is a phenomenal accomplishment.

Truly!

How many Intermediate Alchemists can boast of creating a new Grade 3 recipe?

Most of them can only brew from existing recipes, and even then, the success rate is too low. Not only have we created three completely new recipes, but we also raised the success rate and produced them in bulk.

This is a great accomplishment, and I'm sure it is the hallmark of my aunt's career.

Just look at her face.

She is bursting with so much joy, with tears flowing down her face.

"Thank you, Javier… for this opportunity! For trusting me so much!" She shrieks, proceeding to hug me and raise me once more.

'Ah, stop, Aunt Leila!' My thoughts scream helplessly. 'My head hurts from using Clairvoyance so much. I'm getting so lightheaded that I might faint.'

Good news is, I didn't.

I did throw up not too long after, though.

But that's inconsequential—a small price to pay for such a glorious achievement.

We… actually did it.

We have made an indelible mark in the world of Alchemy, our accomplishments a pivotal point bound to be relevant in the annals of history.

"Now, for the moment of truth…" I murmur silently, raising the three vials as I watch them with a narrowed gaze.

The three liquids sloshing within the transparent bottles have different colors.

The first is blood red.

The second is golden yellow.

The last is verdant green.

'Each of them helps to mitigate the aftereffects of my Fragmented Conceptions, and using them together should help alleviate my nutrition problem.' My thoughts flow silently as I watch the trace elements flicker around like shimmering stars.

The blood-red Potion replenishes my blood and helps provide micro-nutrients to keep up a stable flow and healthy productivity.

I think I'll call it the Blood Flow Potion—basic, I know.

The golden-yellow Potion helps with the supply of macro-nutrients that build up my body. It should give me enough proteins and energy that the constant fatigue I constantly feel within me, even when I eat to my fill, should be resolved.

I'll call it the Energy Revitalization Potion.

As for the verdant green Potion, it helps soothe the mind and replenish mental energy.

This will really help with the headaches and mental strain that using Clairvoyance gives me. It should also help me think better and faster when I'm not using any Conception.

Using all three will give me all these benefits at the same time, while also causing a reaction in my body that negates their side effects and strengthens their additional benefits. They will offer me a lot of nutrients that should reduce my over-reliance on meals.

At least in theory.

I now have to test them on myself to see if this is a true success, or if we still have room for improvement.

"Here goes…" I down the Potions one after the other, ensuring I leave enough time in each consumption to feel their individual effects.

As I expected, they are all digested quickly, so unless I drink all of them in succession, their complementary effects won't work. But this is fine too, since I first want to test how effective they are on their own.

Let's begin, shall we?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.